Challenge Entries
by Laux14
Summary: My entries for challenges on the HPFC forum - each chapter is an entry to a challenge, the challenge is specified in the A/N. Contains a range of pairings and ratings.
1. Happy Christmas Katie

Title: Happy Christmas Katie

A/N: Written for Sparkling Soul's The "I Kissed A Girl" Competition.

Katie boarded the Hogwarts Express as usual for her final year of school. But for the first time since she had met them, she wasn't greeted by Alicia and Angelina's hyperactive hugs and loud fast chatter. They had been her closest friends, and now they had graduated and gone on to other things, leaving Katie alone again. Sure she had other friends, but none of them were as close to her as the two older girls had been.  
She continued along the corridor, lost in her thoughts, until the shock of an impact with another person pulled her back into reality.  
"Oh god I'm so, so sorry!" she burst out without even registering who the other person was. Leanne laughed.  
"Katie calm down, I'm fine. Bit distracted today are we?" Katie grinned sheepishly and nodded. "Why not come sit with me? My friends have prefect duties so I'm stuck on my own..."  
"Sure – you want to play exploding snap?" Katie pulled a pack of cards from her bag. Fred and George had taught her, Angie and Alicia to play back in first year. She shuffled and dealt the cards, and they passed most of the train ride talking about their summers and contemplating the enormous stacks of homework they would have this year. Their voices were punctuated by the BANG of the cards and occasional coughing fits over the clouds of smoke, until they were interrupted by Leanne's Prefect friends.  
"Hey Lee-lee! I've missed you so much! Sorry I didn't see you before I was late again, our lovely Head Girl was not impressed... But how was your summer? Was France good?" Susan Bones was unexpectedly talkative, babbling a mile a minute.  
"Breathe Susie. Let the girl speak!" Another 6th year, who's name she couldn't quite remember, followed her in, rolling his eyes at Susan's over excited manner.

"Hey," Leanne placed a card while I wasn't looking, causing a particularly violent explosion. "Guys, say hi to Katie. Katie, the thing bouncing off the walls is Susan, and the slightly less insane guy who thinks he has a chance with her is Oliver Rivers." She made the introductions, earning a glare off him.

"Charmed to meet you." he winked at Katie and took my hand, kissing it like someone from a Muggle film. "And contrary to popular belief, I have no interest in Susie beyond pushing her off the Astronomy Tower." She flipped her middle finger up at him, and when he turned his back drew her wand and flicked it in his direction. He left the compartment for the bathroom, humming happily. A minute or so later the entire train heard him yelling.

"MY HAIR! SUSAN!" Susan merely smirked and dealt the cards again.

I collapsed into a chair in the library at what was now our usual table. It was the last day of term before Christmas, so it was fairly empty – the general idea was that they'd have two whole weeks to do homework. I was first here for once, even after an exhausting Quidditch practice. Since September I'd become good friends with Leanne, Oliver and Susan, despite their quirks and Oliver and Susan's frequent arguments. Even since their on again, off again relationship had begun they fought at least every fortnight, leaving the Hufflepuff common room in disarray and invariably ending with them ignoring each other for a few days before returning to normal. I shut my eyes for a second, leaning back and relaxing. This lasted all of two seconds before...  
"KATIE KATIE KATIE! Hows life my good, good friend who will help me with this impossible Transfiguration essay because she loves me?"

"No shouting in the library!" Madam Pince snapped. Susan flopped into the chair next to me and pulled out parchment and a quill, looking up at me expectantly. I groaned and pulled her textbook towards me.  
"As if I don't have enough of my own..." I muttered. Oliver and Leanne came in a moment later, having walked rather than ran to the library.  
"It's the holidays ladies! Two weeks of freedom, snow, cake, presents..." Oliver dumped his bag on the table with a bang.  
"More like homework, homework and more homework... And what have you got in there anyway, bricks?." I pushed his bag off the Transfiguration book and continued reading.

"Close enough. Herbology equipment." He stuck his tongue out at me.

"Helping with Transfiguration are you Katie? Good, I'm stuck too." Leanne perched on the edge of my chair, reading over my shoulder. My hands shook a little and I let my hair fall over my face to hide the red blush rising up.  
That was another thing that had sprung out of the last three and a half months with Leanne: a definite and undeniable attraction to her. Which was also completely hopeless – she was as straight as a ruler. As proved by what I heard when I caught up with the conversation again.  
"Okay, okay! I have a date. Are you two happy now?" She admitted, scowling at them and blushing.

"Who is it?" Susan probed.

"Nick Summers." Leanne was staring down at her feet, embarrassed. The appropriate squealing and flood of questions was generated by Susan and Oliver (who could be such a girl sometimes).  
"And I'll just be sitting here alone..." I sighed dramatically for the benefit of my friends.

"Aww Katie, you'll find someone eventually!" Susan patted my shoulder sympathetically.

"You're such a sweetie Kate. Someone will see that." Leanne smiled. Then Oliver decided to jump in and ruin the comforting comments with

"Yeah, and when they see you handle that bit of wood on the Quidditch pitch..." he winked. We all burst out laughing.  
"OLIVER!" I gasped out between laughter. "Just, no!"

"THATS IT! Out, all of you!" Madam Pince stood over us, wand in hand. We left in a hurry, books and papers everywhere.

"Well we have Prefect duty anyway... see you guys tomorrow." Oliver and Susan walked off hand in hand.  
"More like snogging duty. You coming to Hogsmeade tomorrow Katie?" Leanne asked as we made our way to the kitchens.

"Nah, I'll leave you lot to your dates. I've already got all my Christmas shopping." I winced internally at the thought of her and Nick.  
"Well, if your sure... See you afterwards then." She continued on to the Hufflepuff common room while I headed into the kitchen – I'd skipped dinner for homework and Quidditch practice. Again.

I woke up bright and early the next morning, against my wishes, to the sounds of the other Gryffindor girls getting ready for Hogsmeade. I automatically shoved my head under a pillow and made a desperate attempt to go back to sleep. Until someone shook me, trying to wake me up.

"I am the only person in the whole damned school without a date. Leave me alone." I muttered into the pillow. They continued shaking until I finally sat up, grabbing the pillow as a weapon. Leanne stood in front of me, tears streaking her face. I lowered the pillow and hugged her.  
"Hey, hey what's wrong?" I asked, rubbing her back soothingly and trying not to think about how close she was. This was not the time. "I thought you were going out with Nick?"

"I was" She sobbed. "But then, then I went up to meet him, and he was there, which was you know, good, but then, I saw, he was wrapped around this other g-girl kissing her."

"Oh Lee-lee." This guy was clearly an idiot who didn't know what he was missing.

"I j-just thought he actually liked me." She sniffed and wiped at her eyes.  
"Yeah well when I get hold of him he'll wish he was never born... no-one hurts..." I stopped myself saying 'my Leanne'. She wasn't mine, I had no claim on her. "One of my friends." I finished. "And you know what Susie will be like when she finds out." She managed a watery smile.

"Thanks Katie... I'd better let you sleep." She turned to leave.  
"No, don't bother. I'll come to Hogsmeade with you if you like. But, just a question... How _did_ you get in here?"

The week passed in a blur. Leanne's failed date was quickly forgotten, Oliver and Susan had managed 3 whole weeks without a fight. Christmas morning found me heading to the Hufflepuff common room for the first time, carrying presents for both me and them. Susan let me in, and we filled buckets of water to go wake Oliver – he really wasn't a morning person. Once he was dry and slightly less zombie like we sat down and opened gifts, getting so distracted that we missed lunch. Leanne and Susan saved us from starvation however, by getting food from the kitchens. Several mince pies and a pile of sandwiches later, Susan had the idea to end all ideas – or at least end her life if Oliver's hair got messed up.

"Alright everyone, outside! Snowball fight!" We wrapped up in scarves and gloves, and headed outside where other students appeared to have had the same idea. Someone had built an enormous snowman near Hagrid's hut, clearly using magic – no-one could lift something that big.

Dinner that night was eventful. We all sat around one table, and the plates laden with food of every description were interspersed with wizard crackers. I ended up wearing a straw hat, and a teacup, frog and a knitted tea cosy had fallen out of the crackers. We headed back to the Hufflepuff common room with the others, singing Christmas carols and throwing things at Peeves, who they met on the way down. It was turning out to be the best Christmas ever. Despite their quiet reputation, the Hufflepuff's were a lot of fun once they got used to you. The topic of conversation between the four of us drifted from insulting Nick and plotting his death to plans for the New Year. At three in the morning I decided it was about time I left. We were all drifting off a little, courtesy of too much good food and a long day.  
"I'll walk back with you." Leanne offered, yawning widely. It took longer than usual to get up to the tower – I was starting to suspect that someone had spiked that pumpkin juice, we were all acting a little tipsy. We finally made it to the top. Only one torch was lit outside the Fat Lady's portrait, and we stood there for a few minutes. The conversation slowly tailed off into silence, and I jumped a little as I realised I was staring at her.  
"Umm, anyway, night Lee-lee." I turned to give the password, and she caught my arm, pulling me back around. Before I could think about what was happening, she was kissing me.

"Happy Christmas Katie." She whispered and ran off.


	2. Of Prefect's Rounds and Quidditch Wood

Title: Of Prefect's Rounds and Quidditch Wood  
A/N: For FireFlameHopeEternal, who is confined to her bed and needs entertainment, the Any One-Shot Challenge. I honestly did not mean this to turn out the way it did :S Fair warning, a little explicit, and it's slash.

Draco stood in the shadows, fists clenched tight. No more than five metres away Ha- Potter and the Weasley girl were making out. Her hands were straying downwards – not that he was looking there of course. Things were getting quite steamy for a make out session in the centre of a corridor. Anyone could walk in. And speaking of, it was probably about time Draco did. He stepped out from behind the statue and cleared his throat loudly, ready to exercise all his Prefect authority to keep them apart. Keep them from breaking the rules that is. If anything, the couple in front of him only got more involved. He coughed again. No response.

"OI!" He finally yelled. They jumped apart, awkward and blushing.

"Umm, we'll just be going then..." Potter muttered, backing away. Ginny had already exited the corridor. That blush looked rather nice... Although, he'd rather the Weasel hadn't put it there.

"Your not going anywhere H- Potter." Draco had no idea why he had said this precisely, but lack of sleep had loosened his tongue. Harry raised his eyebrows.

"Oh really? Make it quick Malfoy. I have things to be getting back to." He folded his arms and tapped his foot impatiently, to illustrate the point.

"What, like screwing Weasel?" Harry spluttered and choked.

"Jesus Malfoy... we haven't... you know." I gave him a disbelieving look. "It's true!"

"Are you telling me, Potter, that you're still a virgin?" His blush returned full force as he nodded, staring at his feet. "And let me guess, tonight was planned to change that?" Draco smirked as Harry blushed and stammered his way through the denials. He turned to leave, and Draco felt the moment slipping away. "You still could you know." Draco slapped his hand across his disobedient mouth. _Damn it, why not just go tell him outright that he features in most of your fantasies hmm?_

"... What's that supposed to mean Malfoy?" Draco could only stare. Harry was half facing him, candlelight dancing with the shadows on his face. Emerald green eyes stared at him, confused. Draco stepped closer. At this point, his traitorous excuse for a mouth took things to the next level, recruiting the rest of his body and pulling Harry closer. Their lips met, and Draco felt the warmth of Harry's body pressed close to his. He ignored the icy thoughts reminding him that this meant nothing to Harry, and just let himself believe that he was kissing _him_ back, that it wasn't just an automatic response. But Harry didn't pull away that second, or the one after that. Hands wove into hair and slipped under shirts. The feeling of his hands on Draco's chest left trails of fire, and the sensations blurred together. Draco's trousers were uncomfortably tight, and an answering hardness was pushed up against his thigh. A small part of his brain was convinced that this was another of his fantasies, but Draco knew better. This felt too real, overloading his senses as he pushed Harry up against the wall. Their tongues slid against each other, desperately wanting more. Eventually Draco pulled away, head spinning. Harry's eyes opened, and they stared at each other. Harry's clothes were misplaced, shirt pushed up and robes slipping down his shoulder, doing nothing to disguise the obvious bulge in his pants. The sparkling green eyes were dark with need. Draco was in a similar state of disarray.

"Oh shit." Harry ran in the direction of the Gryffindor tower. Draco leaned against the wall, banging his head against it sharply, before straightening up and tugging his shirt back into place, robes hiding the still present hardness. He gave up on Prefect duties for the night, slipping into the Slytherin boy's dorms and pulling the curtains shut around his bed. One silencing charm later and he was lying on his back, reliving the night and imagining how much further it might have gone, as his hand brought him his release. He had never been more thankful for silencing charms than at the moment Harry's name escaped his lips. He fell into a fitful sleep and woke early, with half remembered snatches of dreams where Harry ran from him through the many halls of Hogwarts. He showered and headed down to breakfast, stupidly early for a Saturday. The Great Hall was nearly empty, except for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. A few surreptitious glances their way showed Harry to be looking as tired as he felt, with dark circles under his eyes. The Weasel girl looked like she'd been crying. Draco toyed with his food, watching them out of the corner of his eye, not even noticing Pansy sitting next to him until she spoke.

"Rumour has it that Potter broke up with the Weasley girl." He sat up straight, directing his attention to her. Pansy was the biggest gossip in the school, but on the plus side most of it tended to be true. She gave him an odd look. "It's hardly surprising, they've been fighting a lot recently. But apparently he caught her with some Hufflepuff guy last night." The slight hope that had risen in Draco was squashed. Of course he wouldn't leave her for him. He was a guy, not to mention all that Death Eater in training Slytherin stuff. So when he headed down to the Quidditch pitch to watch their practice, he had nearly convinced himself that he was spying for the Slytherin team. Nearly.

By the end of the session, his fixation on watching Harry with a bit of wood between his legs had completely ruined this belief. He watched them trail off into the changing rooms, then one by one come back out. Except for Harry. The other six had all made their way up to the castle ten minutes ago, and Draco's curiosity couldn't resist. He slipped into the changing rooms. They were empty, but the sound of heavy, uneven breathing came from the shower cubicle on the end. _Was Harry hurt?_ He wondered. The door was unlocked, and he went to push it open. Harry was curled up on the floor, crying. Something in Draco's heart cracked a little.

"Hey... Harry? What's wrong?" He crouched next to him. The dark haired boy looked up at him, anger flashing in his eyes.

"Oh you want to know what's fucking wrong? Maybe it's okay for you, last night meant nothing to _you_ did it?" Draco's heart skipped a beat, cliché as it may sound. He hardly dared to breathe. Was Harry saying what he thought he was? "Well I'm not another on of your one time things Draco, you can't just pick me up and throw me down like everyone else!" He was really getting angry now. Draco did the simplest thing he knew to shut him up, and kissed him again. This was gentler, more caring, than last night, or any of Draco's other flings. He drew back, waiting for another tirade.

"Oh." Harry said, in a rather small voice, then flung himself into Draco's arms, where he buried his face in his shoulder. A few minutes passed this way, until Harry shifted and whispered in his ear.  
"Now where were we last night..."


	3. Pumpkin Prat

Title: Pumpkin Prat

A/N: For theriptide45's Fruit Challenge. Make my day and review?

"Lavender isn't in here is she?" Ron poked his head around the common room door.

"No, she just left to look for you. I thought you liked her?" Harry asked from his position sprawled on the floor. Parchment, quills and textbooks littered the space in front of him.

"I do! She's just so clingy." Ron complained. "I'm going to take a chance and go get food." Harry snorted and returned to his Potions essay.

Misfortune struck in the Entrance Hall, when Lavender emerged from the Great Hall.

"Won-won! There you are." She cried. He mumbled something about having to see Hagrid and ran out of the front doors. She followed him across the lawn, yelling after him.

"Won-won! My lips long for yours!" He shuddered internally and pretended he couldn't hear her over the wind. Her short skirt and ridiculously high heels forced her to take mincing little steps, and his longer stride allowed him to extend the distance between them. By the time he reached Hagrid's hut he really couldn't hear her. But apparently it wasn't his lucky day, as Hagrid wasn't in. Ron cursed and looked for somewhere else to go. His gaze landed upon one of the enormous Halloween pumpkins, hollowed out but uncarved.

"Only one thing I can do." He told himself as Lavender's high pitched cooing came into earshot again. Ron scrambled up the side of the nearest fruit and dropped through the opening at the top. He landed on something soft and squishy.

"Ooft. Get the hell off me!" It spoke. Ron hastily crawled off and saw Draco Malfoy,blond hair messy and the usually immaculate robes covered in pumpkin innards.

"What are you doing in here?" Ron questioned, astonished.

"I don't have to explain myself to you." The Slytherin replied haughtily.

"Fine. Then get out. I need to hide here, and you clearly have no good reason." He folded his arms, waiting.

"I was here first Weasel, I think you should leave. And while I have a perfectly sound reason, I see no excuse from you." Malfoy smirked.

"I'm hiding from Lavender, isn't that a good enough excuse for anyone?" To his surprise Malfoy laughed and said,

"She's a little leech isn't she. Had a bit of fun with her though, before she gripped on so tight."

"Whoah, wait, _you_ were with Lavender?"

"I've been with half the girls in the school Weasley. And quite a number of the guys for that matter. None of them understand the need for a bit of relief though, everyone wants a _relationship _now." Draco scowled.

"Yeah, I know the feeling." Ron spoke without thinking, then instantly blushed.

"My my, not a total virgin then Weasley." The trademark smirk returned full force. "Of course, the difference between you and me, is that I am strong enough to control them."

"Who says I'm not strong enough?" Ron was turning red from the ears downwards, as he tended to when annoyed.

"Well your little fling with Lavender clearly got way out of hand... Unless of course, you intended this fiasco? I mean, who wouldn't want to be stuck in a pumpkin with me?"

"Yes Malfoy, I kept Lavender around for a few months in the hope of ending up in a giant orange Halloween decoration so I can try and seduce you. Prat." Silence reigned until Ron realised what he'd said, at which point he blushed.

"Fine, if you think you can run a no strings attached acquaintances with benefits thing, then prove it." Draco grinned triumphantly, thinking he had the red head trapped.

"I will then." Shocking both of them, Ron leaned forward and kissed Draco. At first it was messy and uncoordinated: Draco was caught by surprise and Ron had never kissed a guy. It was different, yet the same. Soon they settled into a more comfortable position, moving closer together but never losing contact. Hands travelled until skin touched skin.

An unmeasured period of time had passed when they had finished. Ron leaned back, breathing hard.

"I think your girlfriend has left." Draco pointed out.

"She's not my girlfriend." Ron muttered, adjusting his clothes and pulling himself out. A moment later his head reappeared.

"You never did tell me why you were hiding in here." He propped himself up on his elbows, clearly prepared to wait for an answer.

"Whoever said I was hiding Weasley? I've heard that waiting in pumpkins is a remarkable way to seduce stubborn red haired blood traitors." Draco was laughing, the insult light hearted and joking. Ron shook his head in disbelief, and returned to the castle. Back in the common room Harry hadn't moved one inch. He took in his friends bedraggled appearance with a raised eyebrow.

"I thought you were avoiding Lavender, not getting off with her."

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Ron smiled slightly. Next time, he _would_ be in control.


	4. Brighter

Title: Brighter

A/N: for the Pairing One Hour Challenge: two hours to write 2,500 words.

Blaise joined Draco and Pansy at the Slytherin table, taking the right foods and eating the correct way, as was right for a pure blood. His mother would never forgive him for forgetting his training. The other Slytherins greeted him respectfully, nodding at him calmly.

"So, how is our bachelor today?" Draco asked, mocking. He was always the exception to the rule. Blaise didn't allow his irritation to show. Emotions were for the weak, the filthy mud bloods and blood traitors. He couldn't let himself slip as badly as last year.  
"You are making assumptions again Draco dearest. You never know, he might have finally found a woman good enough for him." Pansy's words might have sounded supportive to anyone listening, but she was still stinging over Blaise's many rejections. He had grown harsher with her over time, as by the tenth attempt he would have expected her to have retreated with her remaining dignity. But the girl was desperate for a good marriage. Draco shook his head.  
"He still won't have a girl by the end of the year." Blaise tuned out their conversation. His two closest acquaintances took far too much interest in his love life, or lack thereof.  
_A Zabini doesn't have friends. And they certainly do not trust._ His mother's words, repeated over and over, echoed in his head, a stern reminder. He left the table as he had come, neat and proper. A red headed girl bumped into him, some little Hufflepuff from his year. He sneered at her stammered apologies and brushed imaginary dirt from his robes. He sat in his usual place in then back row of McGonagall's classroom, surveying the class in an aloof manner. He must appear to pass perfectly without trying at all, so he stared out of the window at the Dark Forest for the hour, pretending to block McGonagall's wittering about animal transfiguration. The bell rang and he made to leave, swinging his bag onto his shoulder. His heart sank as the professor's voice rang out.  
"Mr Zabini, a moment if you please?" He followed her into her office and declined the offer of a biscuit. She rifled through some papers, searching for something. His worry was increasing, uncertain for once. He could not be in trouble. His mother would punish him if there were any more problems.

_A Zabini always comes out smelling of roses, in both senses of the phrase. _His mother had told him, time after time as she sprayed herself with sweet perfumes. McGonagall appeared to have finally located the correct sheet, as she shut the drawer with a thud and pushed something towards him. He collected himself and picked it up with steady hands, scanning it briefly.  
"I'm sorry Professor, I don't quite understand." He spoke smoothly, retaining his politeness even with the mother lioness.  
"Your grades Mr Zabini. They are your grades, and they have been slipping quite atrociously." He re-examined the page of letters with new eyes. Whereas in his early years at Hogwarts he had achieved many Exceeds Expectations and some Outstandings, now he was slipping to Acceptable and even Poor. "You need to pay attention to my lectures, try harder in class and at least make an attempt to do the homework. Last year I received only one piece of homework from you, and that was a week late!" He attempted some damage control before she offered him a months worth of detentions.

"I apologise Professor. I will work much harder and put all my effort into improving my transfiguration." He hesitated. A little buttering up wouldn't hurt. "After all, it is the most important subject. It won't happen again Professor, I promise." He hung his head in remorse, internally laughing at the display.  
"No, it will not happen again. I have assigned you a tutor, Miss Bones. Please see to it that you meet with her twice a week until you are up to scratch. You are dismissed." With that she picked up a quill and started marking essays. He cursed under his breath as he left the room.

"Language Mr Zabini!" She called after him.

_A Zabini does not slip up._

He pushed the tutoring out of his mind for the next day, carefully checking his progress in other lessons as well. It wouldn't do for things to go so wrong that they got back to his mother. But at dinner he could forget no longer, when a note landed on his plate. He fished it out of the gravy gingerly and spread it on a napkin.  
_Mr Zabini,  
Please meet Susan Bones at 7pm in the Library for your first tutoring session. Do not forget._

_Professor McGonagall_

He vanished it with a flick of his wand.  
"Do you know who Susan Bones is?" He asked, nonchalant. Draco gave him a weird look.  
"She's that Hufflepuff over there. Half blood." Pansy pointed discreetly, right at the girl who had walked into him the other day. No-one asked any questions. For once even Draco was on his best behaviour.

He made his way to the library five minutes early and found a table in a secluded area, hidden by shelves. This wasn't a secret exactly, but it would be better kept as one. This also decreased the chance of her finding him. Maybe if he wasn't to be found she would leave, and he could get on with his evening. But no, just as he was considering this plan she walked around the corner, seemingly knowing exactly where he was. She was punctual at least.

_A Zabini is a gentleman, no matter what._ He stood and pulled out a chair for her.  
"I'm not an invalid." She snapped, choosing a different seat. His preconceptions of her as quiet and shy immediately vanished in the face of her hostility. He returned to his own seat, letting silence reign over the table. Susan pulled transfiguration texts from her bag, and finally spoke.  
"I'm sorry. I don't know what's come over me recently." She paused, expecting a response, but got none. "Thank you." Silence again. "Look, I don't want to be here either, but the sooner we get this over with the better."  
"So now your saying you don't want to be around me?" He smirked. Teasing her seemed safe enough. His mother would never know if he bent the rules a little.

"No! That's not what I meant, I'm sorry, I mean, I'm sure your lovely, but well..." Maybe his first impression of her _was_ more accurate. She did seem to apologise an awful lot.

"I'm a Slytherin?" She nodded helplessly, keeping her eyes on his wand hand. She didn't trust him, he realised. It shouldn't come as a shock – no one ever did – but she seemed so innocent and sweet that this distrust didn't suit her at all. "We can do transfiguration too you know." He was half joking, causing her eyes to widen in surprise. He kept forgetting that only Slytherins had been witness to last year, when he had let himself go. He pulled a book towards him at random, flipping through it for something he recognised, then pushed it back in her direction.

"Help me then?" She rolled her eyes, but relented. Her explanation was long and confusing and she used words he hadn't heard before, incantations he knew nothing about. It seemed he hadn't been listening as well in Transfiguration as he thought. She finally finished and snorted in a rather unladylike manner at his blank expression.  
"I think we need to go back to basics a bit."

They continued meeting twice a week for the next four months. Draco and Pansy questioned him constantly about where he went on Tuesdays and Thursdays, teasing him mercilessly with the idea that it might be a girl.

"So who's the lucky lady you sneak off to see so much?" Draco smirked permanently now.  
"Excuse me?" Blaise responded, confused.  
"Oh, well you vanish so much nowadays... surely there's a girl somewhere who's giving you the time of day?" He denied it vehemently, blushing slightly. Tutoring with Susan didn't count as going off to see a girl.

When no girl appeared and the meetings still continued, they started debating the idea of a guy – they were convinced any girl would have either gone or been made public by now. Blaise found himself looking forward to the sessions. She was good company – for a Hufflepuff – and didn't bother him as much as most people did. He avoided Draco and Pansy, as their company irritated him more with each passing day.  
"Why are you always alone now?" Susan asked hesitantly, at one of their tutoring sessions. They were studying quite advanced stuff now, and his grades had gone right back up. He pretended to check something in his essay, avoiding the question.  
"Susan, what's the correct linking of the wand movement and incantation for this?" He asked, knowing the answer full well. She explained it for the second time that night, but wouldn't be dissuaded from her original enquiry.

"Seriously, you used to hang around with Malfoy and Parkinson all the time." He shrugged.  
"We grew apart. They started annoying me."  
"Why, what did they do?" She was persistent, he'd give her that.

"It's been a long time coming. But recently their favourite conversational topic is where I go when I meet you. They think I'm off to see a girl,"  
"I am a girl." She pointed out.  
"I know that, but it's not the same is it? This is just tutoring, because McGonagall says we have to." Something about his statement had made her angry. He could tell. She shifted further away from him, folding her arms across her chest.

"Of course. This is just tutoring. Just for your precious grades. That's why you didn't leave when McGonagall said we could stop. Well then, if this is a job, I'm out of here. My duties done." She gathered her things and walked off. He made no attempt to call her back, simply banging his head on the table gently. She was someone he had looked forward to seeing and enjoyed spending time with. If that was what a friend was, she was as close as he'd ever had.  
_A Zabini does not have friends._ He reminded himself bitterly. He headed back to the Slytherin common room, annoyed with himself.  
~SBBZ~  
The Hufflepuff sixth year dorms were empty except for Susan. She lay face down on the bed, tears absorbed by her pillow. A voice in the back of her head was informing her that the damp patch was getting quite uncomfortable now. That she should move, and stop being so miserable. But she had let herself think that Blaise was different. Surely not all Slytherins could be so stand offish and stuck up as Malfoy, or as dim witted as Crabbe and Goyle. And Blaise had been so charming, intelligent when he listened, slightly frustrating at times, but a good friend in the end. Except it turned out that he had thought her a springboard to his success the whole time. She had never let herself question why either of them stayed after McGonagall told them that their time was up; that his grades were good enough now. They had never discussed it, just kept coming for two nights a week. But now she could see it all, laid out like a map. He had been driven by a need to be the best, and had used every ounce of his stupid underhand Slytherin cunning to manipulate her into getting him there. Throw his stunning good looks into the deal, and she was hopeless to deny him help.

Susan herself however, had wanted a friend. She had come along, telling herself she would be at least polite to him no matter what, and then she would have a companion for a little while. It was more than she usually had. Her friends had shunned her over a stupid fight, the way young teenaged girls are inclined to do, but the rift had never fixed. No matter what had caused it, the gap had grown too large to be bridged. She was a loner. Dumbledore's Army had given her a chance to talk to people, and she had clung onto that taste of friendship, wanted it back. Blaise Zabini couldn't give her that. She was suddenly filled with self righteous anger. He had practically led her on. She headed to the bathroom to clean herself up and hide the sign of tears.

~SBBZ~

Blaise emptied his bag onto his bed, trying desperately to push Susan from his head. But he had to admit to himself, he had been unable to do that for a while now. If friendship was forbidden though, anything further would earn him the worst punishment yet. He stacked his books back where they belonged, swapping them for the next days, and came across one of her Transfiguration textbooks. He weighed it in his hands. It was such an unimpressive looking thing.  
Minutes later he was walking fast through the castle corridors. He walked along to the kitchens, where he knew the Hufflepuff common room to be. Here however, he stopped. He hadn't really thought this through properly: Blaise had absolutely no idea how to get in. Just as he was cursing himself for his stupidity, a hidden door swung open and a red haired girl emerged.  
"Susan!" he spoke, smiling. Maybe she'd come to talk to him? This hope shattered when she spoke.  
"How dare you! You used me for your own ends. You let me think you were my friend, and I was fine if that was all I ever had from you, but no! You lied to me, everything you said. All you wanted was an Outstanding, maybe so your bleeding Mummy would be happy. Or maybe that's all a lie too. A Slytherin does everything for himself, I bet she doesn't forbid you from having friends at all." She stopped to draw breath and think of a continuation. He offered the book, hands shaking. A peace offering of a kind. She stared at it for a moment, then deflated. She took it from his hands, mumbled her thanks and turned to go.

"I'll see you on Saturday? Hogsmeade?" Blaise asked before he could stop himself. She seemed to consider it, looked like she would say no. "Eleven, in the Entrance Hall." He walked off before she gave her verdict.

Saturday morning was bright and cheery. Birds would have been singing, and sunlight streaming in, had the Slytherin dorms not been under the lake. As it was he dressed in the green gloom with feelings to match. What if she didn't show up? Surely she won't come. You didn't even give her a chance to answer! He berated himself, walking upstairs into the main castle. He was early, so he stood there fiddling with his clothes and starting to panic. Other couples and groups of friends streamed past him into the courtyard, past Filch waving his dark detectors around. His nerves grew in intensity so that he was nearly hyperventilating. He needn't have worried. She showed up, perfectly on time as always. He had never seen her out of school robes before, not that the jeans and t-shirt showed much more. She smiled shyly.  
"It's a date, right?" She asked, taking his hand. Blaise's smile nearly outshone the sun.


	5. Little Alice

Title: Little Alice

A/N: Written for the Prompting Hat Competition.

Alice was absolutely terrified. Determined as she was not to show it, she couldn't still the shaking of her hands or the thump thump thump of her heart going a hundred miles an hour. Bellatrix circled her, leaning over and letting wild dark hair brush Alice's face. She shuddered at the sensation of the woman's breath on the back of her neck. She was tied to a pole in the centre of a pitch black cell. She had no idea how big it was; she couldn't even see the nearest wall. They had been so stupid to get caught. Her and Frank had gone out, wanted some alone time. They had only been in a park somewhere. It had seemed perfectly safe at the time.

And now she had no idea where Frank was, and she would never see Neville again. Just that morning, she had given him Drooble's Best Blowing Gum for the first time, and laughed as he tried to make bubbles, screwing up his face in effort. He had given up and played with the pretty wrappers instead.

"So little Alice, want to play?" Bellatrix laughed softly. Alice spat at her in defiance.  
"With you? Don't make me laugh." She imitated the contemptuous tones of her mother-in-law. Another person she would never see, even if it was one she wasn't very attached to. Bellatrix shrieked out a curse, slashing through her sleeve and opening a shallow wound in her arm.

"It's a bit of a one sided game with me tied up anyway." She had already tested all her bonds: they were as strong as they could be. The cell she was in blocked any wandless magic she could do, cutting her off from her power. Bellatrix snorted in an unladylike fashion. Rather like a pig, Alice thought.

"Think I'm that stupid do you? I'm not going to set you free little Alice." She laughed maniacally for a few minutes, then suddenly shot a jet of red light at her. "Crucio!" Alice couldn't help the screams that erupted from her. Pain shot along every nerve in her body, burning like fire and icy cold all at once.

"Now little Alice. I'm going to explain something to you, and your going to listen, quietly. Got it?" Alice shook her head. She wouldn't bow to that woman while she still had strength in her body. She might go down, but she would go down fighting.

"Stupefy!"

Alice was returned to consciousness only a moment later. She was confused. Stunners hurt, but when you could use the Cruciatus Curse...  
After the fifth stunner in a row she started to see. This would be repeated. Until she understood. She gathered what little moisture remained in her mouth and spat again.

She'd lost count of the stunners, and the brief moments under the Cruciatus, and the even shorter moments of lucidity. The door swung open.  
"Now now Bella. Time we stopped playing with our food." A man spoke.  
"Oh, but I'm having so much fun! And you know how you like it when I play with you..." Bellatrix's voice was sickly sweet as she flirted with the unknown person. Alice would have thrown up if she could have.

"Later. Now let me talk." Alice blacked out again, this time of her own accord. She was roughly woken seconds later.  
"Now Longbottom. You have a choice. It's really very simple. You tell us everything we need to know, and this stops now." She shook her head, and someone slapped her. Alice just couldn't keep her eyes open any more.

"Come on little Alice, it's really very easy." Bellatrix was circling again, predatory. "Embrace the Dark Arts Alice... I'm sure you'd make an excellent Death Eater." She pushed her face close to Alice's, running one long fingernail across her cheek. Alice used her remaining strength to push her head forward sharply, breaking Bellatrix's nose. Two Cruciatus curses hit her at once. She wished she was at home, she wished she was safe, she wished she was dead.

It was hours before the Order came. Miraculously, both she and Frank were alive – but not unharmed. She watched the lights travel backwards and forwards, not really knowing that the pretty colours were deadly curses. She barely felt the Order members who poked and prodded and spoke to her. She was taken to St Mungo's, where everything was whiter than white and metal gleamed. More people poked and prodded and talked across her body, meaningless syllables. Eventually she was left in a room, all by herself. The nurses came every now and then, fed her and took her for short walks. But while her muscles knew how to walk once they had recovered, her brain never understood the difference between lying and standing, between being motionless and walking. Eventually she was taken to another room, shared with other people. She was reunited with Frank, who had once been her world: the anchor keeping her sane, the man she had given her heart too. And the saddest thing was, they didn't recognise a thing. They stared blankly at each other, the same way the watched everybody else.

At night, things were different. The subconscious took over, and in her dreams the pretty flashes of light were terrifying, and she cried out when they hit the people she loved. But when she woke each morning, she couldn't remember a single thing. Alice's mind was a blank, empty sieve, neither gaining nor retaining any information. The only thing that seemed important was when a little boy with a round face appeared. Something about this made her give him the only things she had – pretty pieces of paper, all bright colours and swirly patterns. He came lots – at least, it seemed that way to her fragmented mind. He looked a bit different every time, and he kept getting bigger. She hoarded the paper, and eventually the nurses stopped trying to take it away. She passed on every little piece to the boy she could not recognise as her son.


	6. One Last Kiss

Title: One Last Kiss

A/N: For the Last Kiss Competition #2. My, I do seem to get given Blaise a lot.

Ginny stood to one side of the covered bridge, looking out of the window at the lake. It was winter, and freezing. Even wrapped up in layers of clothing, her fingers were turning white and her lips blue. But she couldn't leave yet. She was waiting for someone, and she owed him an explanation, and probably quite a bit of an apology. She checked the time again. He was late. This was nothing new – he had never been on time, even when this was just a hidden fling. However, she thought he'd heard the importance of this particular conversation. This wasn't another of their night time make out sessions.

She sighed, breath puffing out in a white cloud, and let her thoughts drift back again.

Blaise had always stood out to her. Even as a first year, wary of the Slytherins, she had noticed the way he stepped back from the others, was more himself and less a pure blood robot. As she grew older she started running into him around the school. He had known her name – not Weasel, or even Weasley. Ginny. Then Gin. Then cute, gorgeous, beautiful. The compliments had started teasing, progressed to serious, even made it to a real relationship. They had sneaked out together, away from their friends, to hug and kiss and just be together.

But it couldn't stay a secret forever. She had told her family she was dating a Slytherin. That he was different. And this was all so true. Ron had been mad, even threatening Blaise. Her parents and older brother's took it better. She didn't know what his family had said. He never spoke about them, and she didn't ask.

The tap on her shoulder didn't even shock her any more. He'd used to surprise her, creep up behind her and make her jump, but now her body was so used to him that she knew he was there.  
"Hey." He spoke first, apprehensive sounding.  
"Hey... We need to talk." She was apologetic. They both knew what was coming.  
"Go ahead. Say your piece." He knew her too well, knew she had planned this in her head. She scrambled for words, and ended up forgetting her prepared and practised speech.  
"I practised a lot of things I wanted to tell you but I can't remember a word of it," She began, taking a deep breath. This had to be done. "You've always been different from all those other guys, and different can be good... different is what I've always craved. But now that I have it, it's made me realize that there's such a thing as _too _different - I didn't want this for us." She stared at her feet, determined not to lose her resolve, not to cry in front of him.  
"So. It's over." Blaise's words were neutral, his face blank, but she could see how much this was hurting him.  
"Yes." Ginny whispered.  
"Can I have one thing?" he asked.  
"Anything."  
"One last kiss?" His voice cracked, betraying him. She pulled him closer, kissing him like she never could again, soft and sweet. She fled towards Hogwarts the instant she released him, tears streaking her face.


	7. Wedding Worries

Title: Wedding Worries  
A/N: Written for Dear. Dark. Destiny's 3rd Annual Can You Write a Romance? Challenge Competition.

Hermione leaned back in her seat, relaxing for what was probably the last time. In a few short days they would be heading off on a Horcrux hunt, trying to destroy Voldemort at last. But right now the sun was shining on the elegant canopy, bees hummed around bouquets of cream roses and a gold jacketed band was playing music. Ron returned to her and Harry floating three glasses of champagne. She plucked hers out of the air before he could drop it onto the table and sipped the cool liquid.  
"She's great isn't she? Always good value." Ron commented admiringly. Hermione turned her attention to the golden dance floor, where Luna was dancing alone, waving her arms and rotating slowly on the spot. Next to her Bill and Fleur were twirling elegantly, the bride glowing with happiness. Fred and George were holding bottles of what claimed to be butterbeer, but their slightly unbalanced dancing said otherwise. Although it was hard to tell, George always looked a little lopsided now. Ron's amused smile vanished as Viktor Krum approached them again. Harry hurriedly made small talk with him in his disguise as Barny Weasley, wisely distracting him from Ron.  
"Vould you like to dance with me Hermione?" He turned to her, offering his hand. She blushed, taking it and missing Ron's face turning redder by the second. They walked onto the dance floor, which was filling fast now. As they turned in slow circles she caught glimpses of other people. Xenophilius and Ginny had joined Luna, imitating her odd arm movements. Fred and George were dancing with a few of Fleur's Veela cousins now, offering them drinks. Ron's expression looked remarkably similar to the one he wore at the Yule Ball years ago. His arms were folded across his chest and he declined Ginny's invitation to join them quite rudely. He snapped at Harry, who had probably tried to reason with him, causing the fake Weasley to walk off.  
"I have missed you." Viktor finally broke the silence. His English had gotten much better since she had last seen him.  
"I've missed you too." Hermione murmured shyly, looking down at her feet. They had written letters to each other, but she had been so busy recently. He looked over to where Ron was watching them.  
"Is he your boyfriend?"  
"Most definitely not." Hermione smiled at him. She still held quite a grudge against Ron for ruining the Yule Ball. He seemed relieved.  
Their dancing took them closer to Luna and her father.  
"What on Earth is a Wrackspurt?" He asked, confused.  
"I really don't know." She shook her head, laughing.  
"I find that hard to believe. You always know." He smiled at her and she blushed again. He made her feel lighter, happier. She was just about to respond when a jet of silvery white light flew into the centre of the dance floor.  
"The Ministry has fallen." Kingsley Shacklebolt's voice boomed from the Patronus, strong and authoritative. "Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming." As the light vanished and the echoes faded people started screaming and panicking, snapping out of their shocked silence. Order members shot shield charms in all directions as Death Eaters, or Ministry Workers, appeared. They were one and the same now. Curses flew and she grabbed Viktor's hand and turned on the spot.  
They had apparated to a forest in the middle of nowhere. She wasn't quite sure where they were, but it had popped into her head.  
"Where are we?" Viktor asked, lighting his wand and looking around.  
"I don't know. Oh why didn't I take the bag to the wedding, I had all the stuff packed for weeks that we would need!" He started walking in a circle around her, casting protective enchantments. "And Harry, and Ron… Merlin I'm so _stupid_. I don't have anything and Voldemort's taken over now, and, and…" Hermione burst into tears. The shields glowed briefly as they were completed, and she felt strong arms around her. She leant into him and sobbed harder, making no effort to stop. She had left Harry, he was their only hope.  
"Shh, Hermione." Viktor whispered, soothing her and rubbing small circles on her back.  
"I'm sorry." She choked out. She hadn't cried like this for years. She was always too busy being the clever one, the girl with all the answers, the mudblood girl who lived off books and helped save the world. Viktor pulled off his jacket and draped it around her bare shoulders; she was shivering in her dress. She cried until her tears had run out, Viktor never moving away from her. He lit a fire, summoning the wood, and then transfigured his shirt into a tent.  
"Aren't you cold?" She asked quietly, voice cracking from the tears and long silence. She was frozen, even with the fire. It was late now, pitch black. The trees blocked any moonlight or stars. He shrugged.  
"Yes, but we need a tent, and it is easier to transfigure things that are a bit similar." He then realised that he was half naked and alone with a girl. "I can change, if it bothers you." He hurriedly offered. Hermione shook her head and headed for the tent. It was somewhere between a wizarding and muggle tent, with a single bed taking up half of the limited space. It was piled with blankets and pillows. She crawled in, dragging the blankets around her and curling up. Viktor made to sleep on the floor and she shifted over.  
"Just get in. Don't argue. Too tired." Hermione muttered, not even opening her eyes. He hesitated, then joined her, trying not to touch. She gave him no choice in the matter, snuggling closer. He put his arms around her, sharing the warmth and breathing in her scent. It was different when she wasn't crying, when he wasn't comforting her. And it was different again to the times they had been together before. She was asleep within moments, exhausted by the wedding and the flight, but he remained awake, watching her. He brushed her hair out of her face, and kissed her lightly on the forehead.  
Hermione awoke to bright sunshine flowing in through the windows, feeling odd and disorientated. She could have sworn she fell asleep in a tent.  
"Finally awake then? Come on, we need to go soon." Krum poked his head around the bedroom door.  
"I had that dream again." She commented as she headed for the shower. It wasn't a dream so much, more a memory.  
"I'm sure this wedding won't turn out the same way." He reassured her, as he did before every wedding. Percy and Audrey's, Harry and Ginny's, and their own.  
She showered quickly and put on the dress her and Ginny had found. Despite George's declaration that they could all wear whatever they liked, most of the girls were dressing up for the occasion. She emerged from the bathroom to find Viktor, still staring at her the way he had when they met.  
"You are beautiful."


	8. Thank You

Title: Thank You  
A/N: Happy… gift-ness… Marisa! (TardisBangBangDaleksBoom). For the Fanfic Gift Exchange Round One.

The park was empty – unsurprising at this time of night, especially in this weather.

Make that nearly empty. Long brown hair, soft brown eyes. Life had been kind to Hermione Granger since the war. She sat on the swings, giggling quietly and catching snowflakes. She would hold them close to her face, somehow not melting them, and examine the delicate patterns.

He watched her, leaning on the railings. He wasn't even hiding, but she didn't seem to see him. Draco Malfoy had become invisible. Cast out of high society, and now forgotten. Not even held in contempt any more. He simply didn't cross people's minds.

She swung higher, kicking her legs out like a child. Some might call her crazy, but Hermione relished the freedom.

The horizon to the East glowed slightly. She sighed, brought back to reality. She would be going home alone. To an empty house, in a quiet street, with a Hermione-ish job. Maybe it wasn't quite true to say life had been kind: it had merely been kinder. She pushed open the gate, walked right past him.

Invisible, still.

"Thank you." She called, stopping and smiling back at him. Shock ran through him, returning him to his body. Frozen, after hours in the snow.

"For what?" Draco got his voice to work for the first time in months. Years even.

"You tried to save us. In the manor." She didn't look at all comfortable returning to these memories.

"Forget about it. You've done enough for me. Kept me out of Azkaban…" His voice trailed off. Lucius had returned, a broken man. He never spoke and barely moved. He shivered, a combination of the cold and the memories.

"You look cold. Come inside." Of course she caught it.

"No, I don't want to bother you." Pureblood upbringing gave him manners, if nothing else.

"It's fine. Please." Draco saw the hope in her face. She was lonely, just like him.

The house was warm and neutrally decorated. First it was coffee, leaning against the sideboards and talking awkwardly.

Hermione pulled pans out of the cupboards, found eggs in the fridge. So next it was breakfast, perched on the kitchen stools.

"You cook the muggle way." Draco noted. She raised one eyebrow.

"Problem?"

"No. I've never seen anyone do it, that's all."

"Doing it by magic is too easy. It's boring."

The morning wore on, he didn't leave. Lunch was odds and ends, and they settled into friendly chatter – where had everyone been, what had they been doing?

In the evening however, things grew more serious. A few glasses of wine loosened their tongues as they compared forearms. Hermione's scars reading mudblood, Draco's faded Dark Mark.

The wine was replaced by firewhiskey. The conversation moved back even further – the near innocence of their Hogwarts years.

"I can't believe you went to the ball with Krum." Everything was funny now.

"You went with Parkinson!" More time passed.

"In third year, I thought you were pretty." He poured more firewhiskey. She blushed.

"Liar. I was mudblood remember?"

"No. And if I didn't have any self-control, I'd kiss you now." He blurted out in a moment of alcohol induced laughter. She just stared at him oddly.

Neither of them considered his leaving. She made up the spare bed for him, and in the morning he woke with a headache the size of Australia. Hermione passed him an odd tasting potion and made him breakfast again.

One thing led to another, and he never really left.


	9. Follow You

Title: Follow You  
A/N: Written for the Birthday Surprise Competition. Happy 18th Birthday Kaia (acciohope15)!

Rose had known Lorcan forever. Not just in the way people had known their best friends since nursery school: this was the literal version of always. When she was born (seventeen whole years ago, can you believe it?!), Luna had been standing by her mother rocking the two month old twins.

They had shared everything from toys to chicken pox over the years while Lysander kept mostly to himself. At age four Lorcan had somehow been dragged to Muggle primary school with her. They had screamed themselves hoarse at the idea, then returned home covered in paint every day.

Then the twins, who were about as alike as night and day, hit eight. Suddenly they were considered old enough to stay with Rose and her family when Aunty Luna and Uncle Rolf went on extended trips. She became so used to waking up and seeing Lorcan asleep in the next bed that it felt strange after he left.

They left for Hogwarts together, gripping each other's hands tight as the train sped away from London. Even among the enormous extended family in their apartment, butterflies swooped and twisted in their stomachs.

Rose stood in front of the staring students, sorting hat balanced precariously on her head. It slid over her eyes every now and then and she pushed it back into place. She glanced at the clock. Only one minute until she could be considered a hatstall – the first Weasley in living memory not to be instantly placed (mostly in Gryffindor).

"Ravenclaw!" It finally shouted, an explosion of applause greeting Rose as she stumbled off the stage and took a seat. People patted her on the back and shoulder, eager to see another war hero's child in Ravenclaw. Teddy had been sorted there, but no-one else. Which meant she was without her family for the first time ever.

She watched as Lysander was sorted into Slytherin, then crossed her fingers tight as Lorcan was called up.

"Scamander, Lorcan!" The hat seemed to have an intense conversation with him. Lorcan shook his head violently at one point, until the hat seemed to give up and announced him the newest Ravenclaw.

Rose cheered and clapped with everyone else and she smiled widely when he sat next to her. He returned her smile.

"What was the head shaking thing about?" She whispered.

"I wanted Ravenclaw," he muttered awkwardly.

They grew even closer with each year that passed. Fourth year saw them sneaking into each other's dorms to spill their deepest secrets at midnight, and a warm fuzzy feeling in Lorcan's heart when Rose hugged him. Fifth year was casual flirting, passed off as a joke. When they turned sixteen it shifted to kisses on the cheek and their first real date.

Seventh year had begun with a family feud; Albus had told her parents about the relationship. The adults had cooed over the cuteness of the pair. Rose had been furious at Albus. She didn't properly start talking to him until Christmas. Lorcan had been rather unnecessarily introduced to her parents, with her Dad making the expected death threats and Mum attempting to keep Ron under control. She had admired Lorcan even more for putting up with that.

But looking back on it all, Rose had been certain Lorcan would follow her anywhere at that sorting ceremony.


	10. What's Right

Title: What's Right  
A/N: For the "You Choose!" Competition, pairing Draco/Luna

Blonde hair, grey eyes, pale skin. They stared at each other, standing in the middle of one of Hogwarts' many deserted corridors.

"Out of my way Lovegood," Draco snapped irritably. She merely cocked her head to one side and spoke in that dreamy voice.

"It's like looking in an obnoxious mirror," she commented, sounding a little surprised.

"What are you on about woman?" He was not having a good day at all.

"Can't you see?" Luna caught hold of his arm and pulled it up next to her own, tugging up the sleeve as she did so. Their arms lay side by side in mid-air, almost exactly the same pale shade. The ugly black tattoo adorning his forearm stood out in sharp contrast, the snake twisted in a knot. She was watching him sadly.

"You'll do what's right."

He jerked his arm away, hastily covering the Dark Mark. Draco nearly ran away.

That night he twisted and turned in his bed, unable to sleep. Surely she would hand him in; Lovegood was as bad as Weasley. And then all his carefully crafted plans would come crashing down around him. He would have his wand snapped, be forced to live in the Muggle world… No, he would go straight to Azkaban. A Dark Mark was the most damning evidence there was.

He didn't sleep at all that night, or the next. Dark bags developed under his eyes and he couldn't concentrate in classes. The third night he passed out from sheer exhaustion.

One whole week had passed. Draco hardly dared to believe it – had Lovegood kept quiet? He couldn't see any reason for her to keep his secret, to protect him. Maybe they were trying to lull him into a false sense of security.

Four weeks. She couldn't have said anything. A dangerous Death Eater could not be left wandering around a school after all.

That night his dreams were full of Luna, in her sunshine yellow robes. He woke to fleeting memories of warm hugs and an inexplicable feeling of loss.

Luna never strayed far from his thoughts over the next few years. Even during Voldemort's reign any flash of blonde hair or yellow fabric pulled Luna to the front of his mind. The last words she had spoken to him hung over Draco's head like a death threat. She featured in both his good dreams and his nightmares, watching him being sent to Azkaban for his failures.

The battle was terrifying, horrifying, disturbing and heart breaking. Draco flattened himself against a wall as curses shot past, one grazing his arm while another hit a Death Eater. Blood fountained into the air and he quelled the urge to throw up.

He paced on the seventh floor, diving into the Room of Requirement the second a door materialised. Crabbe and Goyle had caught up with him at some point and they followed him in. He followed Potter's voice and duelled in some kind of daze.

"_You'll do what's right."_ He caught sight of the diadem lying on the floor, too far away for Potter to grab.

_What's right._

"Crabbe! Fiendfyre, now," he ordered in his usual imperious tone, already running for the door. Heat licked at his heels as he climbed a tottering stack of rubbish. He hoped that this was worth something, that he wasn't dying for nothing…

A hand came out of nowhere and grabbed him. He was pulled onto a broom behind Potter, reflexively clutching the wooden handle to stop himself sliding off of the bristles.

"If we die for them, I'll kill you Harry!" Ron yelled. They crashed onto the hard stone floor just as the fire reached the door.

Draco picked himself up and turned to say something, but Potter and his friends had already left.

He re-joined the fight, but this time Draco was where he belonged. Death Eaters fell, not expecting an attack from an ally.

_I'll do what's right._ He promised Luna in his head.


	11. Lonely

Title: Lonely

Lucy sat on the wide castle walls, looking out over the sunlit grounds. She could identify many of her cousins simply by their flaming red hair. They were all popular – even the quiet ones. They all fit in.

Lucy had never felt like she fit in. At home, she faded into the background a little. Occasionally an adult would ask her how she was, usually Aunt Hermione or Uncle Bill.

She had come to Hogwarts expecting to make loads of new friends like the rest of her family had. But she had been thoroughly disappointed. Here, it was like she didn't even exist at all. She was the Gryffindor who shouldn't be one. When Molly asked her roommates where she was, they would invariably respond with 'Who's Lucy?' and then promptly forget her again.

This had led her to become far too attached to characters in books and the muggle movies Aunt Hermione took them all to see. She went for months without real human contact. Lucy had convinced herself that she liked it this way, but the simple truth of it was that she was lonely.

A distant shout drew her attention to the lawn again. Albus was emerging from the lake, dripping wet.

Albus Potter was the precise opposite of her. He was friendly, good looking and favourite of all the teachers. His smile made her stomach do flips and gave her a strange warm quivery feeling. Lucy wasn't at all sure these were thoughts she should be having about her cousin, and if she had someone to tell them to she was certain they would still stay secret.


	12. Something Wonderful

Title: Something Wonderful  
A/N: For silver-nightstorm, who placed third in my 1, 2, 3, 4 Seasons Competition!

She had been young and oh so naïve when she had thought Ron was all she wanted – all she would ever want.

They had an enormous traditional wedding with the entire Weasley family invited, and things had seemed to be going perfectly.

That is, until the topic of children came up.

"No Ronald, and that is final!" Hermione shouted, getting angrier by the minute.

"Fine then. Just, get out!"

This was the latest of many arguments.

Severus had been watching her ever since she saved him. She was intelligent, good looking, and _far _too young. When she had married Weasley he had desperately tried to push her from his mind, throwing himself into the rebuilding of the wizarding world.

In fact, he had completely forgotten his little infatuation. At least that's what he liked to tell himself.

But when Hermione turned up on his doorstep, shivering and with red rimmed eyes, he found he just couldn't say no.

It was the start of something wonderful.


	13. Fascination

Title: Fascination  
A/N: Written for Those Weasley Girls… A Challenge, with Lily Luna and the fact 'She loved the Forbidden Forest'

Lily had been fascinated by the Forbidden Forest ever since she was eight. She could pinpoint the exact moment her interest had been peaked.

James had come home for the Christmas holidays full of stories about Hogwarts and all the wonderful places you can go – and all the detentions he had received.

One of these had been for sneaking into the Forbidden Forest with Fred.

"We saw centaurs and an enormous dog, and Fred reckons he saw a unicorn!"

After this she still had three years to wait. She had begged every member of her family for more information, delighting in the stories Uncle Ron and her father told her.

When it was finally her turn to go to Hogwarts it was all she could think about. While everyone else discussed lessons or worried about what house they would end up in, she was daydreaming about her first real look at the forest.

The castle had come into view around the corner, a confusing mass of buildings, and she had instantly turned to look across the lawns. Lily could only see a smudgy black line in the darkness.

Over the years she got many better views of the imposing trees, from the inside and out. It became her place to hide from the chaos of the outside world, somewhere she could think in peace. It was also the only place she was completely alone.

And she hadn't been caught yet.


	14. Enraged

Title: Enraged

A/N: Written for Potterheadx10's The Letter Competition, with the characters Sirius and Bellatrix and the emotion enraged.

The red envelope landed on his bed, smoking ominously. Sirius drew his wand, cautious – who knew what the crazy bat had put in there?

"SIRIUS!" It shouted, making him jump and nearly trip. "You mudblood loving traitorous FREAK! How dare you walk away from the Black family, your rightful place with the pure and the worthy? After everything we've done – you could be at the Dark Lord's side instead of that snivelling Regulus, a trusted Death Eater! But no, you left to hide away with those bloody Potters like the mangy flea ridden dog you are. You disgust me. You're a disappointment to the entire family, you drove your own mother insane." Sirius snorted. His mother had embraced insanity and waved it like a flag.  
"You don't deserve the life she gave you, you just waste your time on Muggle whores and those motorbike things with your idiotic Gryffindor arrogance. You keep on soiling your pure blood with those disgusting Muggle animals. You've been blasted off the family tree, I can only hope you're out for good this time, you aren't good for anything!" The letter moved closer.  
"If this is your final decision _cousin_, then be warned: you are exactly the kind of scum that the Dark Lord wishes to rid us of, so wizards and witches can rule a glorious new age! And I promise you, you will pay for your treachery with your death, screaming in agony over my wand – _family_ or not! You will burn for this, and the Potters with you!" There was something that sounded like it was intended as a deranged cackle before she continued.  
"See you at Hogwarts, mutt!" The Howler became a pillar of crackling flame for a second then collapsed into a pile of ashes. James raised his eyebrows from his position hiding behind the door.  
"Bit of a drama queen." he commented, waving his wand at the ashes.  
"Yes, psychotic repetitive rants are Bella's speciality."


	15. That Way

Title: That Way  
A/N: This is for the lovely Nayla (The Original Horcrux), who won first in my 1, 2, 3, 4 Seasons Competition with The Meaning Of Life!

The Burrow was full to bursting. People overflowed into the garden, where George and Charlie were trying to set up tables without knocking anyone on the head. This was a lost cause, as Percy was scowling at them and rubbing at the red mark on his forehead.

It had gotten to the stage where nobody really knew what they were celebrating this time. There was probably a few birthdays, but Molly would use the tiniest excuse to get the entire family together.

And when she said the entire family, she meant it. Nearly forty people had turned up, including the Lovegoods and the Delacours.

The youngest children clustered around the adults or perched in their parent's arms. Lily and Lysander tugged at each other's hair while Luna chatted to Audrey. Ron was frowning at his wand, attempting to create a sandpit.

It took a further hour for the tables to be laid and food brought out. Half of them descended on the food almost instantly, Ron in the lead and the sandpit forgotten, while the rest made their way to Molly's buffet at a more sedate pace.

They sat down together, Molly scolding George for putting his feet up on the table. Despite the enormous amount of noise they were still creating, this was the quietest it had been all evening. Bill was teasing George, poking the hole where his ear had been with a breadstick.

Ginny was sat between Fleur and Teddy. Fleur was distracted by Bill's antics, and Teddy was staring at Victoire. Ginny glanced across at Harry. He was completely engrossed in a Quidditch debate with Charlie. She made her excuses and left for the bathroom.

The door swung open as she was washing her hands. She could see Gabrielle in the mirror, beautiful blonde hair nearly reaching her waist now and blue eyes staring directly into hers.

Ginny pulled Gabrielle into her empty bedroom, and within seconds they were kissing. It was fiery and passionate, months of pent up tension and frustration.

"This is so wrong," Ginny murmured when she had the breath.

"It's legal," was Gabrielle's only comment.

"My husband is downstairs," Ginny continued, making half-hearted attempts to push her away.

"Well I'm sure he can join in if you want." Gabrielle would quite like it if Ginny was quieter right now. "It's my birthday," she added, looking up at the older woman and smiling flirtatiously.

After that speech went severely downhill. There were much more important things than talking to be doing.

They emerged around fifteen minutes later and slipped seamlessly back into the party. It seemed like no-one had noticed that they were missing, which was fortunate. If Ron had found out… or Harry. Her stomach tied itself in guilt ridden knots, and she jumped and stammered whenever someone talked to her.

She made herself a million promises – if no-one finds out, I'll never do it again. I'll be the perfect wife. Just don't let him find out.

Ginny got a few suspicious looks when she declined to play Quidditch, forcing her to feign illness. Although it wasn't entirely faked – she felt like she could throw up at any moment. Every time she had nearly managed to push it out of mind, Harry would smile at her and she would be drowning in guilt again.

She kept catching Gabrielle's eye and having to look away quickly. How could she have done this to him? She should never have let Gabrielle in. Then she wouldn't have this problem.

Because the biggest problem of all was that she preferred Gabrielle. She liked women better overall. It wasn't Harry's fault. But she could never leave him – she had James, Albus and Lily to worry about as well. They were a family, and she did love him like a brother. She couldn't do this to him. And she couldn't stop thinking about Gabrielle.

It was late at night by the time everyone began to filter out. The Delacours were staying at the Burrow, but everyone else carried their sleeping children off and apparated away. Ginny was the last to leave. She lifted Lily, still fast asleep, into her arms and waved to Molly.

"Goodbye," she whispered to Gabrielle, the only other person outside. She meant it this time – forever. They might see each other at parties and family gatherings, but it could never be that way again.


	16. Inside A Mind

Title: Inside A Mind  
A/N: For l0stinl0ve's Magic Competition, in the Alohomora section.

It was far too easy to do something so profound. He could just step in, like the door was left wide open for him. He had always imagined the mind as a fortress, a safe stronghold, until now.

Tom Riddle could access people's every thought; wander every inch of their minds as his leisure. It was exhilarating, the sensation of pure power and knowledge. He was arrogant; but for a reason. Surely nobody was such a good Legilimens, for if they were there would be no such thing as a secret.

He was so confident in his power that it became a hobby, something he didn't have to work at but certainly enjoyed doing. Tom told himself that he was perfectly in control of his mind, and if he so wished he could control everyone else's.

This was a tool that made the Imperius Curse look like a blunt, prehistoric club. It was refined and elegant, and suited his sense of style so perfectly. He was in his element, and he refused to leave it.

It developed to become an obsession – some might say it controlled him. It was his secret addiction.

He had explored every mind in the school, from the innocent corridors of the first years to the cracked and twisted lanes that crisscrossed his fellow Slytherin's minds. It was his playground, his ballroom, his library – his everything.

But he craved something new. Tom Riddle was out of new places to explore and tweak, and he was growing more desperate by the day.

He grew braver, and tried to edge into the minds of the staff. They were considerably different from his usual haunts. He appreciated the mature flavour to them, deciding that minds were rather like wine; they improved greatly with age. They ranged from the delicate, caring and therefore deeply flawed spirals of the school Nurse, to the stupidly loyal rooms belonging to the Head of Hufflepuff house.

Although now, they might as well belong to him. He could do whatever he wanted, and they would never know. He was invincible. He had even wandered through the thoughts of Professor Slughorn, whom he had previously admired until he found how shallow and unambitious the man was.

Eventually, as was bound to happen, Tom Riddle had nowhere left to go.

Unless he was willing to take the biggest risk. The mind of Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Transfiguration Professor and Head of Gryffindor House. If he could flick through the entire school's minds in a matter of minutes, he could manage this. It was just one mind.

It turned out to be just one mind too far. Here were the iron walls, the concrete battlements he had expected around a mind. His thoughts slipped against the polished steel without finding so much as a window to glance though. This was impenetrable.

He had a terrible feeling that the old man knew what he had done, and one day he'd make him pay for it.

Tom dipped into people's minds like small children snuck into cookie jars. And every one gets caught eventually.


	17. Summer

Title: Summer

Albus was in love.

Okay, not properly in love. It wasn't serious. He barely knew the guy. Yes, guy.

But the idea of a summer fling was attractive, and Edouard was more than attractive. Although it was kind of disturbing when you remembered that he had been Dominique's first kiss.

Edouard's family were good friends with the Delacour/Weasleys. And as Aunt Fleur and Uncle Bill invited the entire family out to France every few years, Albus had seen quite a lot of him as they were growing up. He was two years older than Albus, and spoke brilliant English due to spending so much time with them.

And while they might have spent four weeks at a time together before, Albus had never been inclined to notice just how handsome Edi was. Now, he couldn't stop.

The messy brown hair, twinkling brown eyes and charming smile made his head spin and he forgot how to breathe. It was more than a little awkward.

Each night Albus lay awake, listening to Edi's deep, even breathing and alternately cursing or thanking the circumstances that meant they shared a room.

Victoire and Dominique were arguing outside the door. Uncle Percy was singing loudly in the shower. Teddy sat on the garden swing, attempting to persuade Victoire to sit still so he could draw her. Albus didn't know how everyone could possibly fit inside the house.

They couldn't have been in a worse place if they tried. There was absolutely no privacy, and no one ever knocked.

Edi however, didn't seem to care that a member of their families could walk in at any moment.

He was far more interested in kissing Albus.


	18. Over

Title: Over  
A/N: AU where Fred survived the battle, and the trio returned to Hogwarts.

_For Hannah. Happy Birthday!_

"Ronald!" He paused with a loaded fork halfway to his face.

"'Ot?" Ron questioned around a mouthful of potatoes and other unidentified food.

"Don't talk with your mouthful!" Hermione snapped, shaking her copy of the Daily Prophet open.

"Patience is a virtue, dear brother," Fred grinned from the seat next to Harry.

"Anyone would think you _wanted_ to graduate," George clapped one hand over his mouth in mock horror. The twins were just some of the many family members attending the graduation ceremony.

"Is it a crime to want to leave this place?" Ron replied, finally swallowing everything.

He hadn't wanted to return in the first place. Hermione had been scandalised.

"It's your education! You can't just throw everything away, you need NEWTs," she had persuaded. This had turned into a full blown argument, ending when the Ministry amended the laws to allow battle veterans to enter Auror training without NEWTs.

For the first time since the battle they stayed in separate rooms. She retrieved blankets and a pillow, then slept on the sofa for a week.

The argument ended at three in the morning, when movement beside him awoke Ron. Hermione crawled under the covers next to him with cold hands and feet. She curled up against him and he slid his arms around her.

"Please come to Hogwarts," she begged. He stiffened. He had thought this was an apology.

"I'm not going back for qualifications I don't need," he muttered for the thousandth time.

"I need you though," she whispered into the darkness.

He shut his eyes, remembering the times he had left her already. Maybe seventh year wouldn't be so bad. After all, Harry was going back.

"You coming?" Harry asked, standing. Ron returned to the present with a start and followed him upstairs to change into clean robes.

They lined up at the front of the hall, side by side. It was like the sorting ceremony all over again, waiting for their names to be called.

People clapped and cheered, louder for them than anyone else – although that could just be the amount of Weasleys. Molly hugged Harry, Ron and Hermione, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue.

It was finally over.


	19. The Office

Title: The Office  
A/N: Happy Birthday Hannah! Have some Drarry just because… I think you've seen half of this but I finished it so yay. Not as explicit as originally intended. Sorry :D

Harry read the paperwork, frowning.

"You want to be an Auror." It was a statement more than a question. The blond sitting across the desk nodded.

"I'm sorry, _you _want to be an Auror?"  
"I'm here aren't I?" Draco Malfoy's perpetual sneer appeared to have been lost since Hogwarts.

"Yes. And being as Auror application is in the office three blocks down, you can understand my confusion." Malfoy stared at him, then tugged the papers from him and left in a huff. Of course, Harry's befuddlement had more to do with the fact that despite their fall from grace, the Malfoy's had more than enough money. He couldn't imagine and reason why Malfoy would be applying for a job in the Auror department, where hard work was key and politics took a very distant back seat. Harry shrugged, and pushed it from his mind.

The topic returned to his thoughts later that day, when he met Ron in a Muggle pub. He preferred to frequent these, as 'Auror who defeated Voldemort gets pissed' didn't make for the most flattering headline. They had lost track of the amount of drinks by the time Harry randomly blurted it out.  
"Guess who wants to be an Auror?" Ron seemed to think hard about this.  
"Hermione," he finally declared. Harry snorted.  
"Nope. Malfoy!" They both found this hilarious, partly due to their drunken state.

They regretted this drunken state in the morning, when the bright sunlight pierced their heads and the sound of footsteps caused considerable discomfort.  
"Never again," Ron groaned as he swallowed a pain relief potion. They said this every time.  
"What happened last night?" Harry asked, wondering what he had let slip this time. Ron put the kettle on and attempted to remember.  
"Well, we had a few drinks..." Harry rolled his eyes.  
"Yes I remember that bit."  
"There was something about Malfoy... then I think I did an impression of a ferret on the table." Harry shrugged and sipped his coffee. Nothing too bad then. "Oh and then you told half the pub that you're gay and explained your flings with Seamus in explicit detail." Harry spat coffee across the kitchen.

"I what?!"

"Calm down mate, I was the only person you know there. And it's not like it was a secret or anything, we all saw you and Seamus coming back in with the sex hair and everything." Ron seemed unfazed, gesturing with his hands to demonstrate 'the sex hair'. Harry however, had been under the impression that his sexuality (and its vigorous testing with Seamus) had been a well-kept secret, liable to shock his closest friends. He cleaned the brown liquid off the wall, glancing at the clock as he did so.  
"Ron?"  
"Yeah?"

"Why the bloody hell are we awake at six AM?"

"Sunlight hurts? Probably a good thing anyway, we do have work today." Harry swore and headed for the shower.

He arrived at work precisely on time, feeling a lot better than he had a few hours previously. He sat down in his office space, giving a cheery greeting to the empty desk opposite, because it was that kind of day. The happy sort with lots of good things. At least, it was until half an hour later.  
"Good morning Mr Potter." Robards, head of the department, stuck his head into the office.  
"Morning. Anything I can do for you?" Harry got on well with Robards, occasionally going out for drinks with him and some of the other Aurors, although he reserved getting pissed out of his mind for when he was with Ron.  
"I came to introduce you to your new partner. It's about time you had one, we need you out in the field and we can't send you out alone." Robards gestured to someone behind him, and none other than Draco Malfoy stepped into the space. Harry nearly swore out loud, and sternly reminded himself that Malfoy had changed since the war. He wasn't a stuck up brat any more. And it would get him out of the office at last.  
He had zoned out through the rest of the discussion, coming back down to earth as Malfoy dropped into his seat, opposite Harry. A suspicious thought struck him.  
"How come you didn't have to go through Auror training?" He asked, trying not to sound rude. Best to start out polite.

"I've been working at Hogwarts for the past few years, learning defence off the current professor." Malfoy raised his eyebrows. Awkward silence hung in the air for a moment, and Harry returned to his paperwork.  
"So we're going out tomorrow." Malfoy asked. Harry jumped.  
"What? When did you find out about this then, Malfoy?" He got an odd look for this.  
"Draco."  
"What?"  
"My name Potter. It's Draco." He rolled his eyes and leant back in the chair.  
"And I'm Harry. But still, tomorrow?"  
"Didn't you listen to Robards? Yes, tomorrow." This was Harry's day off, but he let it slide. This was the first time he would get out on a mission.

It was late evening when he met Draco the next day. They each apparated into a deserted alleyway, and then made their way out into the Muggle town.

The mission was simple, an easy success. They retrieved the information they needed from the wizard's house, no problem. This was all you got early on in your career, even if you were the saviour of the wizarding world. By the time they came out, it was dark. They could see the wizard, still inside his house, through the front window. Just as they made their way down the front path, nearly abandoning any form of secrecy, he looked out of the window – straight at them.

"Shit." They sprinted back towards the alley, panicking. If they apparated they would be heard.  
"We need to look innocent." Harry whispered desperately. Draco hesitated for a split second, then pushed Harry against the wall.  
"Wha-" Was all he managed to get out before Draco was kissing him. Harry responded automatically, just as he had when Seamus pulled him behind tapestries and into hidden corridors in between classes.

It took his brain a few moments to remember that this was Draco, and a few moments longer to remember why they were kissing. A shocked coughing noise told them that the wizard had seen them.

Draco pulled back a little, and turned on the spot. They landed back in the office, both in Harry's chair. Draco hastily moved to his own seat, pink cheeked and wide eyed. They filled in their paperwork in silence.

They never spoke of 'the incident', as Harry mentally referred to it.

Of course, that didn't mean that it never _happened _again. Because it most certainly did.


	20. Sacrifices

Title: Sacrifices  
A/N: For The Last Poison Apple, thank you for putting so much effort into running the Christmas Fic Exchange for us. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Severus and Lily. That's how everyone referred to them – the professors, Lily's friends, the shopkeepers in Hogsmeade. They were attached at the hip, rarely seen apart except for in their separate common rooms.

There were times when people questioned how a Slytherin who was so deeply involved with the Dark Arts could be such good friends with a little Muggleborn girl. But those were close to the pair – or at least, close to Lily – could see that he cared about her.

However, Severus himself was the only person who knew just how much he cared for her. He tried his best to hide it from Lily, who was safely oblivious. It would be dangerous for her to be with him. His future was not a safe one. As days passed and the end of their fifth year loomed closer, he began to worry more and more. The Muggleborn he was so close to would be targeted by the Dark Lord, he was certain of it.

It was a warm summer's day when they sat their last OWL, and most of the year sprinted out of the hall. Severus remained engrossed in his notes, walking slowly towards the large tree by the lake. He didn't spot the Marauders, who were watching him intently.

"Oi, Snivellus!" James shouted. A wave of laughter drifted towards Severus, and he flushed. His hand went to his wand automatically. Before he had a chance to do anything, even threaten him, Severus was flying into the air and hanging upside down. Another second later his trousers had vanished. Severus gritted his teeth in anger.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Lily's voice startled him. She was furious, her wand drawn on James.

"Ah, Evans, don't make me hex you," James spoke. Severus waited, expecting to hear a sound of pain. Lily didn't take kindly to threats.

"Take the curse off him, then!" Lily ordered, shaking with anger. Severus found himself dropping and landing in a heap on the grass. He struggled to pick himself up.

"There you go. You're lucky Evans was here, Snivellus," this last bit was directed at Severus. He closed his eyes for a second.

"I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!" Severus yelled.

"Fine. I won't bother in the future," she turned to walk away. "And I'd wash your pants if I were you, Snivellus."

Severus nearly fell to the floor again. He should go to her, beg her forgiveness.

But no. This had to be the end. A clean split; Lily would be safer that way. The Dark Lord wouldn't use her now. She wasn't a target, and that was all that mattered.

His thoughts went round and round, repeating themselves over again in an attempt to reassure himself that he had done the right thing.

Severus kept up his façade of indifference all day. He couldn't run off and hide now – the Marauders would assume they had won. He had to wait and hide his emotions, until he could collapse onto his bed that evening. He cast a silencing charm around his bed and curled into a ball, sobbing harder than he had since he was four.

Severus awoke the next morning, determined to put it all out of his mind. He would forget about Lily, and move on with his life.

He ate his meals mechanically and focused all his time and energy on his NEWTs, which started after the summer holidays. This cycle continued, with no friends or social life, until the beginning of his seventh year.

The sight of Lily and James kissing in the snow stopped him dead in his tracks. He couldn't remember how to move. The happy couple broke apart, walking to Hogsmeade hand in hand. Severus forced himself to move in the opposite direction. She was still safe, and that was what mattered here, he reminded himself.

After graduation he joined the Dark Lord. He worked hard for a cause he did not believe in, tried to forget Lily. She got married, and Severus turned to alcohol until the Cruciatus curse hit him five times in one day. Lily and James had some delightful baby boy, and Severus didn't leave his lab for three weeks. Life oozed by, with very little changing.

Severus surfaced from his dream like state just after he delivered a prophecy to the Dark Lord.

"I must kill Harry Potter."

Emotions battled within him, overwhelming and terrifying after the years of blankness and the dull aching pain. Severus remembered so little of the next few months; only worry and fear.

It was Halloween, three years after he had last seen Lily, when he arrived at her house. Half the wall was blown out, and he stepped over James' body in the hallway.

The nursery was destroyed. Baby Harry wailed in the cot. Lily Evans lay dead on the floor.

She wasn't safe. It hadn't worked. This was all his fault. Severus had killed Lily.


	21. Hot Chocolate In Summer?

Title: Hot Chocolate In Summer?  
A/N: For chewinggumandpencils' Hot Chocolate Competition

The cat was a hateful creature. It had scratched her when she was five, stolen her lunch when she was nine, and now it had broken her wand.

Her mother was no help.

"Oh Rose! Now we'll have to go into Diagon Alley again. You shouldn't leave it lying around," she berated her, before returning to writing her potions report. Rose glared at her, and ran off to her room.

Two hours later, and her mother had dragged her out of bed and apparated to Diagon Alley. Rose wished her father was home – he was less stressed, and more likely to be sympathetic. Her mother was working on a very important paper to secure her promotion, and she needed peace and quiet, as she'd told them all many times.

It was stupidly cold in Diagon Alley, especially considering that it was August. Rose shivered, half running to keep up with her mother.

Ollivander looked down at her, adjusting his glasses. He had been old when her parents had started Hogwarts, so he must be ancient by now, but he showed no signs of retiring.

"Ahh. Miss Weasley, again. Another wand, I presume," he waved his own wand and a plain wooden box landed on the table in front of Rose. She picked it up gingerly, hating it already. It wasn't _her_ wand. It didn't feel right.

Twenty wands later and nothing had worked. Maybe she was a Squib? She told herself not to be stupid. She had been doing magic for five years, Rose couldn't be a Squib.

Her frustration reached its peak after number thirty. Rose ran to the door and out into the rain that had begun to fall. She was soaked to the bone before she made it halfway down the street. She could hear her mother calling after her, but she ignored it.

Another voice came, from in front of her this time, and someone caught her arm. She struggled for a moment, before realising who it was.

"Rose? What are you doing?" Lorcan asked, looking confused. She pulled him into a side street.

"I- my wand- it broke," she muttered, looking down at her shoes and trying desperately to hold back tears. "I needed a break from wand waving."

"Come on then," Lorcan shifted his grip to her hand and lead her along the street to a little coffee shop. It had a hand painted sign depicting a cup of steaming hot chocolate with a happy face.

They sat down at a table, and Lorcan ordered for them. Rose decided to just go with it.

"It's the best hot chocolate in the country," he grinned at her.

"Hot chocolate in summer?"

"Have you seen the weather out there? Yes, hot chocolate in summer. It's delicious chocolatey goodness."

At that moment a waitress set two glass mugs down in front of them. The drinks were topped with a truly enormous mountain of whipped cream with tiny pink and white marshmallows stuck in it, and chocolate grated on top. She returned moments later with a plate of biscuits.

"Come on Rosie, drink up. It'll make you feel better," Lorcan nudged it towards her. She pulled a face at the childhood nickname, but obediently scooped cream into her mouth. He watched, smiling slightly at the blissful expression on her face as she reached the chocolate itself.

"Okay, wow. You were right," Rose dipped a biscuit into the remaining hot chocolate. Lorcan gasped dramatically.

"Rose Weasley is admitting that I'm right? Someone take a photo, so I can remember this moment forever!"

Rose jabbed at him with her spoon, and he returned to his own drink. The next time he looked up, she burst out laughing.

"You've got a bit- just there- no, up a bit," Rose tried to direct him to wipe the cream moustache off.

"Right," Lorcan spoke once he'd finished drinking. "We'd better go find your mum before she loses it completely.


	22. A Thousand Moments

Title: A Thousand Moments  
A/N: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to Rochelle (slightlysmall)!

His lycanthropy had been given many names over the years. His furry little problem, dangerous, freak, half breed. From Sirius Black to Dolores Umbridge, he had heard them all.

'Dangerous' was about right. This hadn't really settled in until he saw Severus' terrified face, and realised what people saw when they looked at Remus the werewolf. Until then, it had been a bit of fun. Risky, surely, and agonising, but every full moon he went down to the Whomping Willow safe in the knowledge that his friends would be there for him.

Years went by. James went into hiding with Lily, and his company dropped to two. It was a little worse, but Sirius could manage him alone – even if it did cause more injuries. And then everything went wrong at once. James and Lily Potter were dead; Sirius was in Azkaban, Peter brutally blown to bits.

Remus was alone, scratching and pulling himself to pieces once a month.

The Wolfsbane Potion was his salvation. Disgusting as it tasted, he was himself again. Three hundred and sixty five days a year, twenty four hours a day. Just a bit furrier sometimes. His sanity stopped drifting, and he finally got a respectable job at Hogwarts. Remus was on the mend, even when he left teaching behind.

Then, Nymphadora Tonks burst into his life. Bubble gum pink hair and an infectious smile caught Remus' eye, and suddenly he couldn't stop looking. She was pretty, even with the pig nose, and made him laugh like he hadn't since James and Lily died. She knew he was a werewolf, and she didn't turn away.

But she should. All the reasons he'd had at Hogwarts for avoiding girls were multiplied by a thousand now. His life was dangerous. He couldn't offer any kind of life to Tonks, and she deserved better.

So Remus crawled back into his antisocial shell, throwing everything into his work for the Order of the Phoenix. Tonks' eyes followed him around the room, silently questioning him in between entertaining the others and being her usual clumsy self.

Slowly, though, her upbeat and optimistic personality faded. Her hair turned mousy brown and hung limply around her face, and others started to notice the changes.

Looking back, Remus regretted every second that he had hurt her. Even now, with curses flying through the air, and a child back home that might be better off if Remus didn't make it back, that was the one thing he wanted to change about his life.

He grabbed Tonks' hand and smiled at her. They were in this together, and they could survive it.

One of the jets of light came too close. Far too close; it hit Tonks in the chest, and she crumpled next to him.

People were wrong. Your life doesn't flash behind your eyes when you die; but he saw every moment of his life with her in exquisite, painful detail as she lay still beside him. These were a thousand moments they would never have again.

Their first kiss; his first kiss ever, in fact, during the new moon. The sparks that had flown, the giddy sensation of being in love. The day Teddy was born, cradling such a tiny baby between them as tufts of hair shifted colour.

A thousand moments that he had lost forever.

And then the world went black.


	23. Dance With Me

Title: Dance With Me  
A/N: For Sylvia (glowing neon).

Lily liked dancing. She liked twirling around and around, hand in hand with her friends or occasionally a boy, if he was brave enough to ask. She liked pretty dresses in emerald green and sapphire blue, and she secretly liked letting her friends play around with her hair.

She enjoyed party food and punch, as long as Sirius hadn't spiked it. She even liked it when her shoes began to rub and she had the excuse to go barefoot, racing her friends across the dance floor.

She even kind of enjoyed it when Sirius Black hexed a seventh year for calling Remus a 'dirty fag'. It was certainly nice to watch the boys face swell, purple and yellow blotches spreading down his neck.

In short, the Hogwarts Christmas Ball was always spectacular. Lily had gone every year with her friends, unwillingly at first.

This year though, something felt _off_. Which was stupid. The Great Hall was beautifully decorated as usual, with an icy dance floor and ten foot icicles hanging from the ceiling. Round tables clustered around the edge of the room, covered in long tablecloths, and a buffet stood to one side piled with all the normal foods and some Christmas treats. People were dancing, there had only been one fight so far, and the punch didn't appear to contain any alcohol yet.

Marlene detached her current partner and made her way over to Lily. The Ravenclaw boy stared after her, clearly hoping for another dance, but Marlene ignored him pointedly.

"Quiet over here isn't it? Usually the second you're alone James jumps in," she commented, grabbing a sandwich from Lily's plate.

"Get your own food," Lily swatted at her ineffectually. It was strange though. Usually James took every chance he could get to ask her out, or beg for a dance. "He's probably off with Black, causing some kind of mayhem." She tried to sound indifferent.

Marlene pointed out that Sirius was clearly visible pouring firewhiskey into the punch, but James was nowhere to be seen. Lily sighed.

This was clearly a sign, she told herself. James had given up on her, and she should get over her silly little crush and walk away before anyone got hurt.

She scanned the Great Hall one last time anyway before she turned to leave.

"Sorry!" Lily muttered hurriedly as she ran into someone.

"Hey, looking for someone?" James caught her arms to steady her. She opened her mouth, and closed it again. "Whatever," James continued "It's far too early for you to be leaving. Dance with me?"

By this point Marlene was watching the exchange. James seemed to take Lily's silence for a yes, and tugged her gently in the direction of the dance floor. She glared at him. He couldn't just assume he knew what she was thinking like that.

Even if he was right.


	24. Time

Title: Time  
A/N: This is for glowing neon, so Happy January!

It had been a long three years. Harry was twenty and felt fifty, they were celebrating and he felt only sorrow.

Time will heal all wounds, they had told him. In time, he would not feel so broken. When George smiled (which was rare), it would no longer feel like the world was shattering when there was no Fred to smile with him. Teddy's naïve laughter would not be a punch to the stomach, a reminder that Tonks and Remus were gone.

Voldemort had lost, but sometimes it felt like he had won. Time had only allowed the wounds to fester and burn. Harry could not look at the people around him; they were dancing and laughing, celebrating three years of peace. Three years. One thousand and ninety six days. Countless hours, endless minutes; no matter which way Harry counted it, time had done nothing to sooth him. And these people, they twirled and chatted in their colourful skirts and striking dress robes like nothing had ever happened.

There were very few people that understood where he was, precisely. Hermione and Ron had put it behind them. They were moving on, making progress in their lives. Luna was off finding magical creatures that possibly did not exist, Neville was working in Herbology, George was running his joke shop, but Harry was the one that just couldn't let it go.

He didn't expect Ginny to stay much longer. Images of her past boyfriends would flash behind his eyes. Any of them would be better for her right now. It might be one day, it might be ten, but surely she would leave him.

His thoughts nagged him all day, as the nightmares chased him all night.

He didn't deserve her.

Not at all.


	25. Picnics and Kisses

Title: Picnics and Kisses

It was unseasonably warm. Valentine's Day was usual rain, maybe even snow, and no matter what it was always freezing. Today however, it was mild and sunny. Perfect weather for a trip into Hogsmeade.

All of this meant that Lily couldn't back out now. There was no excuse (unless she wanted to fake illness) that would get her out of this date.

Not that she wanted to avoid it exactly. She had said yes, after all. But then all her dorm mates had found out, and now the entire year knew. After six years of arguments, ranging from short snaps to outright screaming in the Great Hall during breakfast, most of the year had some form of interest in the event that was Lily versus James. After all, something that made them look up from their seven am porridge had to be worth watching.

Except now it wasn't Lily versus James. It was Lily and James, and the entire year would be looking at them and pretending they weren't, or sometimes looking quite openly.

Lily didn't want the pressure. She didn't like the people, even her friends, being there.

She liked James. It was about time she admitted that one. But their almost relationship was none of the other students' business.

So, to put it in the least confusing manner possible, Lily wanted to go and didn't want to go.

"Lily! Come on, you'll be late!" Marlene called from outside the bathroom door. Lily groaned, and headed out past her friends, into the common room. She clearly heard Emma comment on her clothes ("Jeans, really?"), but chose to ignore it.

James was waiting for her in the Entrance Hall, leaning against a pillar in an attempt at his usual calm confidence. The way his eyes darted about made it clear that he had at least half expected her to not show up though.

"Umm, shall we go then?" he said awkwardly. Lily nodded, and they walked to the village in silence.

It wasn't a long way, but before they reached Hogsmeade itself James caught hold of her hand and pulled her down a side path.

"James, where are we going?" Lily asked. He grinned at her.

"You'll see."

The clearing was small, and not particularly pretty. It was empty of life, however, which made it pretty much perfect in Lily's opinion.

"I hope you don't mind. I thought that somewhere without all those idiots watching might be better."

"It's wonderful James," Lily smiled at him, and he blushed.

James had brought a picnic, so they sat on the lumpy ground to eat. Their cloaks were used as cushions, and while the conversation was occasionally awkward, at least it was there. There was no swearing, no threats, no hexing. Just a nice conversation, and only half of it was about Quidditch, which was a record around James.

Lily had almost completely relaxed by the end of the meal. She lay on her back, staring up at the sun, and listening to James' attempt to explain that Sirius wasn't that bad once you got to know him. Lily's thoughts drifted off. The direction they took wasn't entirely a surprise, and nor was it the first time, but it wasn't a conscious choice.

What would it be like, she wondered, to be kissed? Her friends had discussed it often, usually late at night, but she couldn't really imagine anything from what they said. Not all their descriptions were that complimentary or pleasant sounding either. And more specifically, what would it be like if James kissed her?

Lily watched him as he talked. He would push his hair up out of his face, only to have it fall back down again. She was tempted to ask if he had ever considered charming it out of the way, but thought that that comment sounding rather too much like Emma.

She couldn't pinpoint the exact moment when she fell asleep, but when James woke her it was starting to get dark. He offered her his hand and pulled her gently to her feet. Lily had expected him to release her, but he moved closer and kissed her lightly on the cheek.

Her face burned where his lips had touched it all the way back to the castle.


End file.
